The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government.
Read our disclaimer for details.

The primary objective of the study is to compare the tolerance and safety between a low-dose Zidovudine (AZT) containing regimen (200 mg BID) and a standard dosage (300 mg BID) in HIV patients initiating a first line antiretroviral therapy. The investigators expect that the low-dose regimen will show improved tolerability and safety compared to the standard dosage, with significant reduction in number of patients experiencing a new grade 1 to 4 anaemia or increasing their anaemia grade during the first 6 months of treatment.

The secondary objectives of the study is to compare the efficacy of the two dosing regimen, as measured by classical clinical and biological markers: the number of new AIDS defining illness, the mortality rate, the proportion of patients achieving virological success and the mean CD4 cell count increase from baseline.

New grade 1 to 4 anaemia or increasing anaemia grade in the two AZT dosing arms [ Time Frame: full blood count will be assessed at week 2, week 8 and week 24 of starting antiretroviral treatment ]

Differences in proportion of patients experiencing a new grade 1 to 4 anaemia or increasing their anaemia grade between the two dosing AZT regimen during the first six months of treatment. Anaemia grade will be defined by the WHO^grading of adverse events.

Secondary Outcome Measures
:

Comparison of the immunological and virological efficacy between the two AZT dosing regimen [ Time Frame: HIV viral load and CD4 cell count will be assessed at week 4, week 8 and week 24 of starting antiretroviral treatment ]

The efficacy of the two dosing regimen will be measured by: the number of new AIDS defining illness, the mortality rate, the proportion of patients achieving virological success and the mean CD4 cell count increase from baseline. Secondary variables that will compare the efficacy and safety of the two AZT dosing regimen are: the viral load decrease in log after at week 4 and 8, the proportion of patients below 50 copies/ml at week 24, the proportion of patients below 400 cop/ml at week 24, the proportion of patients experiencing anaemia and neutropenia grade 3 and 4 at week 4, 8 and 24.

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.